Northwould History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestry of the name Northwould dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in or near "the north wood," as in the northernmost wood within a particular jurisdiction; or in one of the several places named Norwood or Northwood found throughout England. 1 Another source notes the name was derived from the words "north" + "wood." 2.

Early Origins of the Northwould family

The surname Northwould was first found in Devon, where Painot de Norwude was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1176. A few years later, Pipe Rolls for Kent include Alexander de Norwuda in 1190 and Geoffrey Northwud was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Norfolk in 1205. 3

Some of the family were found in the parish of Sittingbourne in Kent where: "It is an incident worthy of notice in the ancient history of this town, that Henry V. was entertained at the Red Lion here, by John Northwood, a gentleman resident in the vicinity, at the expense of nine shillings and ninepence." 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings for the family: Mauger de Northwode, Bedfordshire; and William de Northwode, Suffolk and later, the Yorkshirew Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Tillot de Northwode; and Johannes Norwode. 5

Early History of the Northwould family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Northwould research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1590, 1592, 1671, 1675, 1780 and 1791 are included under the topic Early Northwould History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Northwould Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Northwould have been found, including Norwood, Northwood, Norwold, Narwold and others.

Early Notables of the Northwould family

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Northwould Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Northwould family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Northwould, or a variant listed above: Francis Norwood, who arrived in Boston in 1630; Richard Norwood settled in Virginia in 1643; Mary Norwood settled in Montserrat in 1685; Richard Norwood settled in Georgia in 1733..

The Northwould Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sub cruce vinces
Motto Translation: Under the cross, we shall conquer.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)